The 2018 edition of the Greater Kansas City Basketball Association banquet held at the Ritz Charles in Overland Park was a night for the ages for the North Kansas City School District.
Chandler Prater of North Kansas City and Oak Park’s Ochai Agbaji were chosen as winners of their respective DiRenna Awards that cement their legacy as two of the best in the history of high school basketball in Kansas City.
Agbaji, who will play for the University of Kansas next season was the city’s most dominant player. His list of accolades includes becoming the all-time leading scorer and rebounder in Northmen history. In three-quarters of play, he also broke the single-game scoring record with 41 points in a late-season game.
Prater has been a fixture in the NKC starting lineup since she was a freshman. She averaged 21.4 ppg this past season and is the three-time conference Player of the Year. Went over the 1,000-point threshold this past season and set the single-game scoring mark with 40 points against Staley this past season.
Other awards:
2018 GKCBCA All-Academic Team
Girls
Kaylee Connors, Blue Springs South
Katherine Eischens, Park Hill South
Kinly Grubb, Odessa
Hope Owens, Olathe East
Kate Walsworth, Barstow
Boys
Jared Brauth, De Soto
Rigley Nuss, Barstow
William Powell, Pembroke Hill
Jake Thompson, Rockhurst
Casey Worley, St. James
Hall of Fame Inductions:
Coaches
Brett Goodwin, Benton HS
Mark Scanlon, O’Hara/St. Michael’s
Player
Leann Wilcox Plutnicki, St. Mary’s HS
Tom Colwell Lifetime Achievement Award:
Mark Huppe, St. James Academy
Eddie Ryan Coaching Award:
Rob Heitman, Hogan Prep
Rick Hetzel, St. Thomas Aquinas
Walt Tylicki Memorial Award
John Morris, Rockhurst HS
